Longest-tenured Bengal on 2012 roster, Geathers has been significant contributor since being selected in fourth-round of 2004 draft ... Started all 16 games in 2012 at LDE, and has passed 100 mark in career starts (now 104) ... A two-time team leader in sacks, he is one of eight Bengals to have 10 or more sacks in a season, having registered 10.5 in 2006.
Longest-tenured Bengal on 2012 roster, Geathers has been significant contributor since being selected in fourth-round of 2004 draft ... Started all 16 games in 2012 at LDE, and has passed 100 mark in career starts (now 104) ... A two-time team leader in sacks, he is one of eight Bengals to have 10 or more sacks in a season, having registered 10.5 in 2006.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Cincinnati in fourth round of 2004 NFL Draft (117th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 7-30-04 ... Re-signed with Bengals as restricted free agent on 1-11-07.
2012 RECAP: Started all 16 games at LDE, totaling 45 tackles, with 3.0 sacks ... Fourth on team with 18 QB pressures ... Four tackles Sept. 30 at Jacksonville ... Four tackles Oct. 14 at Cleveland, including four-yard sack of Brandon Weeden on a third-and-one in Bengals red zone, forcing Browns to settle for FG ... Three tackles Oct. 21 vs. Pittsburgh, with a shared sack ... Four tackles Nov. 11 vs. N.Y. Giants, including team-high 1.5 sacks against Eli Manning ... Led D-line in tackles (seven) Nov. 25 vs. Oakland, and his two tackles for-loss included a shared stop of FB Owen Schmitt on fourth-and-one at Bengals 45 ... Two tackles and three QB pressures Dec. 9 vs. Dallas ... Two tackles and two QB pressures Dec. 13 at Philadelphia, along with two QB pressures ... Five tackles Dec. 23 at Pittsburgh ... Five tackles in Wild Card playoff 1-5-13 at Houston.
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2004—Rookie ranked fourth on Bengals in sacks (3.5) and led line in passes defensed (five) ... Made key plays in four wins in season’s second half ... In win Nov. 7 vs. Dallas, had a sack and forced fumble, a key pass defensed, and a QB pressure that led to an intentional grounding penalty ... Had 1.5 sacks in win Nov. 28 vs. Cleveland ... On Dec. 26 vs. N.Y. Giants, his deflection of an Eli Manning pass led to Carl Powell’s game-clinching INT with less than a minute to play ... Continued his big-play ways Jan. 2 at Philadelphia, intercepting a Jeff Blake swing pass in the third quarter and returning it 36 yards for TD that gave Bengals a 24-3 lead.
2005—Started every game at RDE, including Wild Card playoff ... His 52 tackles included three sacks ... In crucial win Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh, forced a Hines Ward fumble in second quarter that Bengals recovered at their 25.
2006—His 10.5 sacks were at the time the most by a Bengal since 1983 ... In win Sept. 24 at Pittsburgh, recorded four tackles, including two sacks of Ben Roethlisberger ... Two sacks of Aaron Brooks on Dec. 10 vs. Oakland.
2007—Led team in sacks (3.5) ... Started 12 games at LDE, and started four games (Games 5-8) at SLB, aiding injury-depleted LB corps ... Second on line in tackles (69), and was one of four Bengals to log an entry in every column of defensive stat sheet ... Played dominant role in season-opening win Sept. 10 vs. Baltimore, with line-leading eight tackles, an eight-yard sack, an INT with a 30-yard return, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
2008—Started Games 1-11 at LDE, but suffered knee injury in Game 11, Nov. 20 at Pittsburgh ... Placed Nov. 24 on Reserve/Injured list, ending streak of 74 straight games played ... Despite missed time, led team in QB hurries (12) and finished second on line in tackles (56) ... On Nov. 16 vs. Philadelphia, executed a sack-and-strip against Donovan McNabb in first quarter to set up a Cincinnati FG (Bengals recovered fumble).
2009—Started 15 games plus Wild Card playoff at LDE ... Led D-line in tackles (56), including 3.5 sacks, and for the second straight season, he led team in coaches’ compilation of QB pressures (13) ... Inactive for Game 16 at N.Y. Jets, resting a knee strain, but returned to start Wild Card playoff 1-9-10 vs. Jets ... Had line-leading eight tackles in Sept. 27 win vs. Pittsburgh, including a shared sack of Ben Roethlisberger on third down in fourth quarter, forcing Steelers punt that preceded Bengals game-winning drive ... On Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh, had nine-yard sack of Roethlisberger on first-and-goal from Bengals eight-yard line in second quarter, helping hold Steelers to a FG ... Logged six tackles in Wild Card playoff 1-9-10 vs. N.Y. Jets.
2010—On Sept. 26 at Carolina, his recovery of a Jonathan Stewart fumble and return to Panthers 37 set up fourth-quarter drive for TD that iced the game ... Three tackles Nov. 8 vs. Pittsburgh, including nine-yard sack of Ben Roethlisberger in third quarter ... Line-leading six tackles, a QB pressure and a pass defensed in Dec. 26 win that knocked San Diego from playoff contention.
2011—No. 1 on depth chart at LDE, and played in 14 games with 13 starts ... Also started in Wild Card playoff ... Suffered shoulder injury Sept. 11 at Cleveland, rendering him inactive in Games 2-3 ... Had 44 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and two passes defensed ... Supported effort for Bengals defense to rank seventh in NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (316.3) and fourth in fewest yards allowed per offensive play (5.0) ... On Nov. 13 vs. Pittsburgh, had 1.5 sacks, six total tackles (tied for line lead), one tackle-for-loss on a rushing play and an additional QB pressure ... Led line in tackles (seven) Nov. 27 vs. Cleveland, including a four-yard sack of Colt McCoy ... Four tackles in Wild Card playoff 1-7-12 at Houston.
TAKE THE FUMBLE AND RUN: Geathers holds the team record for fumble return yards in a season, with 113 in 2009. He tied Ray Bentley’s team record for a single fumble return when he went 75 yards for a TD at Cleveland, and he added a 38-yard return at Oakland.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Geathers has football in his blood. His uncle, Jumpy Geathers, and his father, Robert Sr., were both talented defensive linemen. Jumpy recorded 62 sacks in a 13-year NFL career (1984-96 with New Orleans, Washington, Atlanta and Denver). Robert Sr. starred at South Carolina State and earned a third-round draft selection by Buffalo in 1981 before being hampered by an injury. “My dad gave me a football when I was three years old,” Robert Jr. recalls. “That’s the first thing I remember, carrying that ball around the house, running from him.” One of Geathers’s younger brothers, Clifton, played DE in the NFL for Indianapolis in 2012, and another younger brother, Kwame, a nose tackle at Georgia, entered the draft for 2013.
COLLEGE: Entered NFL Draft after his junior season at Georgia ... Started all 14 games as a junior in 2003 as the Bulldogs posted 11-3 record ... Played 39 games over three seasons (2001-03), but did not become a full-time starter until ’03 ... Had career totals of 81 tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 22 QB pressures and two INTs.
PERSONAL: Hometown is Georgetown, S.C. ... Attended Carvers Bay High School, where he recorded 100 tackles and nine sacks as a senior and had 130 tackles with 14 sacks as a junior ... Married (wife Adria), with a son, Robert III ... Sports studies major at Georgia ... Last name is pronounced as “gathers.”
